History of Acai Berry

Acai’s history is deeply rooted in the traditions of the Amazon people and the modern countries that occupy that territory. The acai (ah-sigh-ee) berry has been around for thousands of years. It was introduced to the Western world in the 1990s.

The tribes of the Amazon Rain Forest first used the berry to help various ailments due to its tremendous health properties. It is estimated that the indigenous tribes regularly use two thousand of the three thousand known rainforest fruits for medicinal purposes.

The Amazonian tribes found out that it helped build the immune system, fight infection, protect the heart, control prostate enlargement (nature’s Viagra), and acai berry and better sex.

The acai berry was also discovered to fight schistosomiasis, a snail-transmitted disease. Schistosomiasis affected more than 10 million Brazilians—how about that for the earth giving us what we need? The acaí berry is also used to produce an antibiotic that helps fight against Staphylococcus aureus, a common infection contracted mainly in hospitals.

The acaí berry grows on a palm with a long, thin trunk up to 25m high. At the top is a group of branches from which ribbon-like leaves hang. Acaí berries hang from these branches in clusters. Traditionally, the acai berries were picked by hand, and the tribe’s men would shimmy up the tree and cut the branches from the top of the palm tree rich in acai berries.

Now that the acai berry has been discovered as a highly sought-after crop by the Brazilian population, it is mass-produced. It only has a 24-hour life span, during which the juice’s properties remain active. The acai berries must be loaded into baskets and onto boats soon after picking. Each acai palm tree produces about 20 kg of fruit per year.

Acai’s most recent history is that it has been endorsed by talk show hosts such as Oprah Winfrey and seen as a feature on her show, a berry with star success.

The video below shows the Kayapo Indigenous group of Pará, Brazil, who eat wild açaí growing in their protected rainforest.